Facelatherers: how do you get consistent lather for each pas

C

chicken neck

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236
I am a diehard facelatherer - love the feel of the brush on my face, believe it must help with the prep and saves all the mess with a bowl. But ...

The first pass lather is very thick. The second pass lather is much thinner (even when just painted on). The third pass lather is derived by squeezing the knot and the quality of the lather is just gorgeous, but as I have to spread it with my hand, it is not quite as evenly spread as the first pass lather.

To be honest, all the different types of lather work fine and perhaps each type of lather is actually most suitable for that particularly pass (ie first lather very thick and protective for WTG, second lather OKish for XTG, third lather very very creamy for ATG).

I am just wondering though if any of you facelatherers have any tricks?

Bowl latherers clearly get consistent lather across all passes, but then they just don't get the face prep (or indulgence), right?
 
I only do one pass.

BUT.

I would've thought you could dampen your brush and swirl it on your soap again and then back to face-lathering?
 
To achieve enough lather for multiple passes it's as much about building the lather in the brush as it is on the face especially with such a large brush like a CH2. As mentioned add more volume by water dipping and agitating although I wouldn't be as vigorous as mantic unless you have skin like hide.
 
I agree that the second wave of lather is thinner than the first. This isn't a problem to me as I find that a thinner lather makes it easier to see any bits I've missed and is actually more suited to the shorter hairs left after the first pass.

Doesn't answer your question but at least you can see that at least one fellow-shaver doesn't mind this phenomenon.

Oh, one thing I sometimes do is add a little hot water to the brush before the second pass. This thins the lather even more but at least provides a second lot of warm lather. I know, I should use a scuttle, but I really can't be arsed with all that.
 
I don't know that I have this problem - maybe I overload the brush in the first place, but there always seems to be plenty of lather in it for the second and subsequent passes. I don't add water to the brush after the first lathering. This seems to work with both badger and boar. Perhaps this is another case of me being lucky with my (soft) water supply.
 
I either face or palm lather.

First pass lather is thick, second pass less so, but a thick lather for the second pass, for me, is all that is required. There is also enough lather for some touch up. Good enough.

Ian
 
There's a bit of a macho attitude towards not using a container. Well you go to the trouble of soaking the brush, building the correct amount of lather and hydrating your beard properly, you might use shave oil, preshave, AS, AB, post shave, allum, witch hazel and so on.

How much effort would it take to throw a container with the brush into a basin of hot water?

Not much. COLD LATHER...YUCK. WARM LATHER on 2nd & 3rd passes...LUVVELY.
 
The reason I don't use a container floating in water is because I cannot be bothered taking it in and out of the water everytime I rinse my face. I know that's pathetic :oops:
 
The reason I don't use a container is that I always used to get water in the lather and mess it up. I don't use loads of extra products, just soap, brush, razor and and aftershave or balm to finish. Using a bowl makes nice lather but the stuff I produce with my own hairy chops is good enough for me. :shave

(YMMV)
 
Heat bowl + brush together in water whilst taking a shower.
Empty bowl of water, keep it in your pants if you like.
Face lather as usual just put there between passes to keep your lather and brush nice and snug.
 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSUNBY9zHUw[/youtube]
Adopting the inverted loading method, one can get the brush loaded right down to the breach.
This provides lather for three passes and then one can "throttle" the brush for the final touch-up.
 
antdad said:
Heat bowl + brush together in water whilst taking a shower.
Empty bowl of water, keep it in your pants if you like.
Face lather as usual just put there between passes to keep your lather and brush nice and snug.
Click to expand...

Yep. Exactly what I'm currently doing. except the pants bit, of course.
 
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